Sticky cauliflower with coconut rice

Todays recipe is coming in two parts; an asian inspired recipe for sticky baked cauliflower and a simple coconut rice to serve it with. Cauliflower has got a bad reputation for being boring. However cooking with cauliflower can be great because it’s so good at taking on flavour. As well as this it has great texture! especially when baked or fried so its crispy, like i’m doing here.

Ingredients (serves 2):

For the cauliflower:

1 cauliflower chopped into florets

Ginger paste

Soy sauce

Plain flour

2 cloves of garlic

Agave syrup

Tamarind

Sesame seeds

2 sliced spring onions

For the coconut rice

2 cups of plain rice

1 can of coconut milk

Fry the finely chopped garlic in 3 tablespoons of sesame oil, when the oil is sizzling add 2 tablespoons of plain flower and whisk quickly until it forms a paste. Add about a quarter of a cup of water and keep whisking. Then turn down the heat and add 1 teaspoon of ginger paste, 2 heaped table spoons of agave syrup, 2 tables spoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of tamarind and a pinch of salt and stir it all together. Toss your cauliflower florets in the sauce until they are coated and then place them on a baking tray. Sprinkle on some chilli flakes to add some heat, then bake at 230 for 15-20 mins (until they colour). Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onion (I’ve also added a little extra tamarind on top) and serve.

For the coconut rice, in a pan combine 2 cups of rice, 2 cups of water and a can of coconut milk. Turn on a high heat, when the rice begins to boil put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down and leave for 10 minutes until the rice is soft and sticky.